April 2016

SOUND & FITNESS... from page 16.

and wall to ceiling joints. Electric out- lets and data connections get special treatment too. Sound proofing floors is a little more difficult. In high rise constructions, floors are often concrete slabs. In some cases the bottom of the slab is the ceiling of the unit below. For that construction, one technique is to build a platform floor on top of the slab. Isolate the sleepers from the concrete with sound absorbing mats. There are also specialized mat products to place on top of the floor to absorb sound. Remember, the new floor should have a gap around the perimeter so the floor does not touch the walls: another application for acoustic caulks. If the floor/ceiling assembly is wood frame with joists and dry- wall for the ceiling surface, there are more options. Resilient channels can separate the joists from the dry- wall and limit sound transmission. Add some sound absorbing insulation between the joists. There are many other options. If your association is in transition from sponsor to individual owners, have your transition engineer determine from the plans the Sound Transmission Class (STC) of the wall, floor and ceiling assemblies in the fitness room. STC measures air borne sound. The higher the rating the better. These ratings are measured in the laboratory so they are only indicative of the performance that will be achieved in the field. Actual performance testing will yield a lower STC rating. For impact sound transmis-

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